


Blood Of Our Enemies

by Moonlightmusic



Series: Chronicles of a Thief [9]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Dark Brotherhood - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Thieves Guild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-10-30 18:05:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10882134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlightmusic/pseuds/Moonlightmusic
Summary: With a ex-Brotherhood member killing off marks of the Thieves Guild, the two work together to settle the matter and prevent it from getting worse.





	1. Chapter 1

Sitting in a jail cell, Zayra, Cynric, and Niruin were confused out of their minds. During the night, the three were coming back from to Riften from separate jobs, though all centered around the small village of Shor's Stone. Just as they walking through the gate, they were snatched up by guards and taken away to sit in jail for the time being.

Now none of them knew what to do. With guards patrolling, and keeping quite an interest in their cell in particular, they couldn’t even attempt a breakout. Besides, they were stripped of their armor and weapons, so defending themselves was out of the question. With that in mind, two sat on the bed while the other took the chair, talking quietly to one another.

"What do you think tipped them off?” Niruin asked, absentmindedly tapping his fingers against his fidgeting thigh. It was the first time any of them got caught and taken to jail after a job, minus Cynric who used to be a professional jailbreaker. Still, a Thieves Guild job never ended like this.

Cynric looked over at him. “I’m trying to think of something one of us might’ve done, but honestly nothing is coming to mind.” Saying this was perplexing was an understatement, nothing about this made sense. They stayed in the shadows, their footsteps light, voices practically nonexistent. He shook his head at the thought, and look over at Zayra who sat next to him. “You’ve been pretty quiet. What’s your take on this?”

She brought her gaze up, letting go of the necklace that she was able to keep away from the guards. “Same as you guys,” she admitted. A feeling in her gut told her this was another one of Virgrum’s antics, but she also knew that was impossible. He’s gone, and there’s no way he’s that stupid to attempt anything else. Looking away, she brought her eyes to the cell directly in front of them. “How come he gets to live a life of luxury?”

The two looked at her with wide eyes. “You don’t know who that is?” Niruin asked, surprised. “That’s Sibbi Black-Briar,” he began to explain, “I don’t think I need to go on.”

The comment made Zayra raise an eyebrow, wanting to know more. Cynric took it upon himself to continue. “He was having an affair with that girl who works in the Bunkhouse while he was engaged to this other girl. I think her name was Svidi, but that doesn’t matter. When her brother found out, he wanted to confront him. Let’s just say he never came out.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, taking it all in. She knew that Maven had her hold on the city, for whatever reason other than money she didn’t know, but imprisoning her own son? She didn’t see the point in it, which she told them.

“She wanted to punish him for staining the family name, but obviously didn’t want him to have to suffer a simple living. I think she just wanted him out of her hair, but only they know the true story.” Niruin finished, leaning back into his chair to stretch.

A little more small talk was made between the three, digressing from the situation at hand. They were trying to kill time, not knowing how much longer they would be in here. They had hopped it wouldn’t be for too much longer, that the guards would stop patrolling so they could break out and retrieve their stuff and head back to the Cristen. A few pairs of footsteps approaching filled their ears, and they looked over to see a few guards and one angry Guildmaster.

Unlocking the door, the three were allowed to exit under the custody of Mercer. He said nothing as they were given their items back, only wearing an irritated snarl. Taking a moment to change back into their armor, they then left, following behind him. However, once they were outside, he spoke.

“I cannot believe you three,” he began. “Do you know what it feels like to be interrupted from your work only to be told that three of your guild members on sitting in a jail cell?” His voice was barely above a whisper, yet still cut at them like daggers. He turned around to look at them, all cowering near each other. “What in gods name made you think you could do that? That that was an acceptable way to deal with something. Huh?”

The three wore confused expression. “Do what?” Cynric finally spoke up.

“Do what?” he barked. “Stop acting like you three did nothing.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning around to begin walking again to the Cistern. “There’s no point in lying when I already know, gods dammit.”

“About what?” Niruin queried. “Honestly Mercer, we have no clue what happened. We were just caught the moment we stepped in Riften. If you just tell us then-” he was then cut off by the Guildmaster’s livid voice.

“The three marks you were stealing from are now dead. They’re dead and you three were just there. Put two and two together.”

The three stopped in their tracks, their mouths hung open, trying to register what he had just said. Dead? They’re dead? How? The questions ran through their minds, never finding an answer. Zayra then took it upon herself to speak, breaking the silence surrounding them.

“Mercer, you can’t really think we had something to do with that. We know the rules,” she reminded him, watching him turn around once more.

“I really want to believe that,” he told her, “but it isn’t that easy. It’s your word against three dead bodies. What am I supposed to believe?”

“That we aren’t stupid enough to do that,” Cynric said. Mercer didn’t respond, only shaking his head and continuing to walk.

It was silent the rest of the way until they found themselves at the secret entrance, going down into the Cistern. They were going to part ways, until Mercer ordered them to follow him to his desk. There, he stood behind it, giving the trio the same irritated glare he normally wears.

 “You three are out of the game for a while. Normally I would kick people out for something like this, and trust me the idea is still on my mind, but since this is the first real offense for all three of you I don’t see a reason to. Yet. Still, I expect compensation.” The three nodded, deciding not to fight it. It was a losing battle for them. He opened his mouth to speak once more, only to be caught off guard by Brynjolf’s voice.

“Astrid’s here,” he informed him. “She says it’s urgent she speaks with you.”

“About what?”

 “She wouldn’t say, other than the fact it’s important.”

Thinking for a moment, Mercer told Brynjolf to bring her back while telling the other three not to go too far as they weren’t finished. Walking away, Zayra asked a question.

“Who’s Astrid?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“The leader of our sister guild,” Cynric explained, “The Dark Brotherhood.”

~~~

It wasn’t long before Astrid stood in front of Mercer’s desk, Brynjolf standing alongside as well.  The others watched curiously from the distance, trying to see if they could make out what was going on.

 “So, to what do we owe this visit?” Mercer began, already constructing possible reasons in the back of his mind.

“It has come to my attention that a few of your marks have turned up dead, and I’m not just talking about the three tonight. In fact, many past marks are now dead. Does the name Wulfum Singer ring any bells?” His eyes went wide at Astrid, it only taking a moment for him to remember.

“The party job? He’s dead now?” She nodded. “How do you know that?”

“Because I think an ex-Brotherhood assassins is killing them off. Plain and simple,” she bluntly stated.

“Now that’s a harsh accusation to make,” Brynjolf chimed in. “Just what makes you think that?”

It was a harsh accusation to make Mercer noted, and a weirder one at that. These two guilds function together, hence why they call themselves sibling guilds. Sure, they don’t actually work side-by-side, but both know that the other has their back if needed. Who would want to ruin that? And why?

“A few months ago I let go one of our assassins,” she started to explain. “Her name was Contina, an Imperial. She’s stubborn, and always wants to do things her way. She doesn’t fear any form of authority, and shows no respect for anyone, always holding herself in higher regards than others. We got off on a really bad foot.”

“But what makes you think it’s her?” Brynjolf again asked.

“After each of her kills, she always left two bloody thumb prints, one on each hand. My resources told me that each dead mark was signed like that. There’s no way in Sithis it isn’t her.”

Mercer let out a long sigh, mumbling something that couldn’t be heard. “Thank you Astrid, we needed to know this.” Now he just needs to figure out how to deal with all this.

“There’s more, but this is on a good note,” she told them. “Considering this is affecting both our guilds, I think we should work together to fix this. With your agreement, I’ll send myself and a few of my Brotherhood members over her to help clean up this mess. So?”

He didn’t hesitate with his response. “Yes, thank you. By the time you guys are back here, I’ll have some form of outline or plan.”

She smiled. “Okay. See you in a week Mercer.” With that, Astrid escorted herself out, leaving Mercer and Brynjolf alone.

When she was out of sight, Mercer spoke. “Just when I think we can catch a fucking break, shit like this happens.” His voice was harsh, rustic even. It was obvious he was pissed beyond belief, and with all that happened he had the right to be.

 “Just calm down Mercer,” Brynjolf said in an attempt to relax him. It did nothing of the sort. “We’ll get through this. We always do.”

“Yes, I know, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to get over. Even if we do catch the rogue agent, and she is in fact the one committing these acts, that doesn’t mean our name wasn’t dragged through the mud.” He let out another sigh, mumbling something and then called the three back over. He gave them a slight apology, explaining them the situation at hand. He didn’t go into exact detail, but just enough for them to understand.

The three nodded, accepting his words. He recanted their probation, allowing them fully back into the guild with no repercussion. The two men then left, Brynjolf following them, leaving Mercer and Zayra alone. He noticed and looked at her.

“Staying when everyone else left gives people certain ideas and thought,” he reminded her.

“I know,” she told him. “I just wanna know exactly what’s going on. I could tell you were leaving things out.”

His gaze left her for a moment, trying to word what he wanted to say. “I’m sure you’ll find out sooner or later, things around here tend to spread quickly. But as of now, it’s best that this stays between Brynjolf, Astrid, and myself.”

“Can you at least tell me why the Brotherhood is involved?” With her best friend Rillisandra being a member of the Dark Brotherhood, she wanted to know at least an idea of what was going on that resulted in the leader coming here to talk to him. Still, he only looked at her.

“No. Sorry.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, stopping herself from asking anything more. It was obvious she wasn’t going to get an answer, and she understood why, but it didn’t stop her from being slightly angry. Leaving his desk, she made her way out of the Cistern and to The Bee and Barb for a drink.

~~~

It’s been a week since the meeting between Astrid and Mercer occurred, and as promised a few Dark Brotherhood members had been making themselves at home down in the Cistern. Astrid was one of them, alongside her was an Argonian named Veezara, the Dunmer named Gabriella, and Rillisandra. While part of Zayra was excited to be able to spend time with her friend, she wished it was under better circumstances.

With that in mind, Rillisandra had been making her stay at Zayra’s house, seeing as the Cistern was beginning to feel slightly overcrowded with the influx of new people, even if it didn’t seem like much. Besides, Mercer, Brynjolf, and Astrid are constantly at the desk, talking back and forth about what was going on, making plans on what they should do to fix this problem. It caused the air to feel tight and serious, making a few uncomfortable.

Therefore, with the Guildmaster not sending anyone on jobs, in fear that marks would end up dead, everyone had too much free time on their hands, resulting in them just sitting around and doing nothing. Sure, there were story to tell and rumors to spread, but at one point it becomes boring. And it was at that point.

Zayra sat with Rillisandra and Sapphire at one of the tables, eating and drinking. Every once in a while, Zayra would look back at Mercer, seeing him continuing to talk to Astrid and Brynjolf. They’ve barely spoken since the day he bailed her and the other two out of jail, mainly because he’s been busy and overly stressed with everything that’s continuing to go on. It was only by word of mouth that she figured out what was going on, and why the Brotherhood was involved.

“Are you alright?” Rillisandra asked her, watching her turn back around. “You’ve been suspiciously quiet lately.” Zayra only nodded her head, saying nothing. “Are you sure?” she asked again, not believing it.

“I’m fine. It’s just that…” she trailed off, unsure of how to finish what she was going to say. In fact, she wasn’t fine. Again she was worried about Mercer, but this time not because he’s was missing. No, she just worried about him mentally and even emotionally right now. All this stress isn’t good for him; it isn’t good for anyone actually. Yet there wasn’t anything she could do about it, and that was killing her.

“If you’re worried about him, don’t be,” Sapphire told her. “He’s been under worse than this, especially when he first took on the position as Guildmaster. Stress is just part of his nature.”

“I know, but I just wish he would at least talk to me,” she began to explain. “He’s been down here day and night, not sleeping or eating. This can’t be good for him.”

“It isn’t, but that’s just how he is.”

“Yes, I know. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” The words came out harsher than she intended, but she was just frustrated and a little angry, though none of it was directed at her two friends. She apologized, and the two told her not to worry about it.

Rillisandra put her hand on Zayra’s shoulder. “Do you wanna go to lunch with me and Gabriella? Maybe to help get your mind of things.”

She shook her head. “It your date, I don’t wanna intrude.”

“You won’t. I’m inviting you,” she reminded her. Still, she shook her head no. “Okay, but the invitation still stands.”

Looking back again, Zayra watched as Astrid and Brynjolf left Mercer’s desk, leaving him alone. She knew this was her chance to finally talk to him, so she waved her friends goodbye as she walked over. This is either going to go really good or really bad she thought to herself.

“Hey,” she said sheepishly. He looked up at her, saying nothing for a moment.

“Hello.” His voice was tired, almost too quiet to hear. He brought his gaze back to his desk, leaning on it and looking as if he was going to fall asleep right on the spot. The bags under his eyes told the same story, but then again he’s always had those. “What do you want?”

“Just checking up on you,” she told him. She reached out to him and gently caressed his face, not caring if anybody else saw them. The entire guild knew there was something between them, and they also knew better than to ask. He looked up at her, a muddled expression on his face. She couldn’t tell if it was because he was beyond tired or because of her public show of affection, or even both. “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be,” he told her, watching as she removed her hand. “I can take care of myself.”

“But you’re doing a shitty job right now.” He rolled his eyes at the comment, standing up straight.

“With all that’s going on, I’m doing the best I can.”

You’re impossible she thought to herself, completely impossible. “Yes, but you can’t forget to sleep and eat. It’s not good for you.”

“A lot of things aren’t good for me.” He looked up at her, giving her an eye. “Yet I still do it anyways.”

She let out a sigh, wanting to change the subject. “So what are we going to do about this ex-Brotherhood member killing off our marks.”

“As of now, we’re planning on setting up a fake job to lure her out. Then we just have to play the waiting game until we can finally capture her. After that, it’s up to the Astrid on what she wants to do with her. Even though we’re helping them, it’s best to keep certain things in house.”

Zayra nodded but before she could reply, there were screams and shouts all over, filling their ears. Guards had invaded, capturing individual guild members. They tried to fight them off. Kicks, punches, and swords were drawn, trying to defend themselves and others so they could escape, yet failing due to the fact they were caught by surprise and with just how many guards were present. Once a majority were in arms, they were shamefully taken away, while the rest of the guards migrated to The Ragged Flagon to retrieve the others.


	2. Chapter 2

Once again in the same cell, Zayra sat on the bed. However, instead of being with Cynric and Niruin, who were in a cell on the bottom floor, she was making her stay with Mercer, Veezara, and Brynjolf. Other people were scattered among the cells, making it unclear of who got caught and who didn’t. While they were able to keep their armor this time, they were still stripped of their weapons. It only added fuel to the fire as they were the talk of the jail, other prisoners making comments about the infamous Thieves Guild getting whisked away from their protection underground. The biggest offender: Sibbi Black-Briar.

“Look who it is,” he boasted, “Mercer Frey and his little thieves. Couldn’t bribe the guards this time huh? I guess they see just how worthless you really are.” Nobody said a word about his comments, not wanting to engage him at all. He took notice, a smirk rose on his face. “My mother will probably cut all ties with you. Your guild won’t be protected by her any longer. It’s gone at this point.”

“Shut the fuck up,” a voice finally spoke up. It was Sapphire, though Zayra couldn’t figure out which cell she was in. “Nobody gives a damn what you think.” It caused a small stir of laughter to rise among a few in the cell, making the man go slightly red in the face. He said nothing else, going back to slumping in his cell.

“He has a point sadly,” Mercer murmured as he sat next to Zayra. “We’re screwed.”

She placed a hand on his thigh, trying to comfort him. “Don’t say that. We’ll figure something out. We’ll get through this.” He looked over at her, and then down at her hand. She removed it as he got up, pacing around the cell muttering to himself.

Taking his seat was Brynjolf, looking over at her with sympathy. “Don’t worry about him lass, he just needs time to think.”

“He knows what he’s doing.” Veezara perked up from the corner where he was sitting by himself. “Keeping to himself is part of his nature, I’ve been working with the Dark Brotherhood long enough to know that.”

“There’s a lot of things on his mind, each weighing on him differently,” Brynjolf said, mainly as a reminder for her. “Just give him some time. He’ll figure something out.”

Veezara opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by Mercer.

“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here,” he all but demanded, giving them a quick glance. Nothing more was said as he continued to pace, leaving an awkward silence.

It was finally broken about an hour later when footsteps entered their ears, reminiscent of the last time Zayra was here. However, they went to the other side, going towards the cell that held Astrid, Delvin, and Tonilia. Two guards were escorting a tall Redguard man with short black hair and a beard. He could be heard spewing sarcastic comments a joke, as if he was trying to make light of his situation.

To Zayra, it sounded far too familiar. She knew that voice from somewhere, but she just couldn’t figure out where. Once he was in the cell, she was able to see his face. She couldn’t help but smile. It was Glason, a person she met when she was in the Solitude jail all those years ago. They became quick friends and he was the one who taught her most of what she knew today when it comes to simple aspects of a thief, and even told her to take her skills down to Riften.

“It looks like you guys threw me a party,” he jokingly boasted. “How nice!” He looked around the cells, noticing who was inside all the ones he could see. “The Thieves Guild? Now that’s interesting. I wonder…” He moved his eyes around, looking for a certain person in particular. A small smile rose on his lips. “Hey Zayra. Long time no see.”

She stood up and moved closer to the bars. “Glason! And here I thought I’d never see you again. What brings you here?”

"Well the guards brought me here,” he jested which she only rolled her eyes to. “Let’s just say a good amount of coins went missing from one of the vender’s stalls, and let’s just say a few fell out of my pockets. Complete misunderstanding but you know how guards are.” She laughed at his words, mainly the tone of voice he was using. “Now, what brings you and the guild here?”

Her smile then turned into a frown. “It’s a long story.”

“We have nothing but time,” he reminded her.

“True, but I also don’t feel like shouting all the details. But I will say it’s by far worse than yours.”

He shrugged. “I understand. Some crimes aren’t meant to be stated. Just know, a wolf comes for a drink.” All who were listening raised an eyebrow at the comment, completely confused. Zayra however, understood and walked back to the bed to take a seat.

It meant Athlis would be coming in a few days to break them out, all they needed to do was wait. However, she couldn’t say when two from her cell asked what it meant, because it’s wasn’t a guarantee. There was always a possibility that he wouldn’t be able to show, and she didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. Instead, she told them not to worry about it and that it was an old inside joke.

More silence plagued them, though there was some small talk between Zayra, Veezara, and Brynjolf. It was meaningless, only being used as a way to pass the time. Mercer however, kept to himself, leaning against a wall and staring off into oblivion. In a way it was sad, he looked completely defeated. No one said anything about it, they knew better.

Some more time passed and another pair a footsteps cam towards. The guard unlocked their cell, causing them to cock a brow.

“Mercer, someone here wants to speak with you. And don’t think this is a chance for you to escape, we’ll be watching the meeting.” He said nothing, only gave an irritated glace as he walked out and followed.

~~~

On the outskirts of Riften was Vex, Vipir, Rillisandra, and Gabriella were taking shelter in an almost demolished shack. They were able to flee before the guards could capture them, however they were unable to help the others. If they all got captured, they would be shit-out-of-luck. Therefore, they had to escape even if it meant others couldn’t.

In the long run, this was better.

Though, now they were stuck. They didn’t know exactly what they could do now. While they knew luring out Contina was the main goal, this wouldn’t help get the others out of jail. Sure, they would be bringing an assassin to justice, which is ironic seeing as who they were, this wouldn’t release the others. In the eyes of the guards, they have a majority of the Thieves Guild in their clutches as well as a few Dark Brotherhood members. To them, it was a great victory that they wouldn’t give up easily.

So now they sat, talking about the next plan of action.

“I think the best thing we can do is go to the Sanctuary. There, we’ll have the remaining members to help us,” Rillisandra suggested.

“It’s the only thing we can do,” Vipir explained. “There’s no way we can get Contina on our own and I don’t even wanna imagine trying to break out the remaining members of the guild and brotherhood with just the four of us.”

“Still, we can’t just leave them there to rot,” Vex interjected. “We have to get them out sooner rather than later.”

“And that’s why going back to the Brotherhood will help. It’s honestly in our best interest. There’s nothing else we can do right now.” Gabriella got up from her spot next to Rillisandra, stepping outside the shack. She looked at the surrounding area and path, trying to figure out which way they needed to go. It was easier said than done. No one knew where they were, just that they were outside of Riften.

Her girlfriend looked over at her. “Dear, just wait till the morning. We’re not getting anywhere tonight.” She looked back at her and nodded, coming back inside.

It wasn’t cold, so they didn’t need a fire, but they did make one for the sake of light. Out of habit, they all gathered around it, an awkward silence surrounding them. While Gabriella and Rillisandra were close to each other, the thieves on the other side weren’t. Other than the fact they shared a job with a hilarious yet embarrassing story to tell, they didn’t talk unless it was guild business. Even with this being that, there still wasn’t much they could talk about without sounding redundant.

With that in mind, Vipir decided to ask the assassins a question. “What exactly did Contina do to get kicked out of the brotherhood? If you don’t mind me asking of course.”

The two whispered among one another, deciding what and what not to say. Yes, they needed to know who they were dealing with, but did they need to know the entire extent of it?

Yes, they did, which is why Gabriella decided to relay the information.

“Contina joined a few weeks after Rillisandra did. Everything was fine at first. She did her jobs and she did them well. Sure, she had a temper and an attitude problem, but it was easy to ignore and work around at first. Then as time went on, she started changing. She got worse.

“It was small things a first. A simple raise of the voice to Astrid when she was denied more targets and getting irritated and storming off for a few days. She would return a few days later with an apology, that we all knew was fake, but she did her job well so Astrid always accepted her back.

“Then she started to get greedy, but not for coin. Sometimes when members would travel to meet with a client, they would find out that someone already met with them and even completed the job, but never accepting any form of payment. It put everyone on edge, because we didn’t know who was doing it. Naturally, Astrid got suspicious of her and sent Veezara to spy on her during a job.

“It was then he found out that she left the thumbprint on each hand after every kill. It was her signature. After the information was given to us, Astrid gave Rillisandra a job but told her beforehand not to go. As you can probably tell, it was to call her out. It worked, and when she returned a full-blown argument spiraled.

“Names were thrown back and forth, some insults as well. Nothing too major, until Contina explained why she did what she did. It wasn’t for the money, which was obvious because she never accepted payment from us or the clients. She did it because she simply enjoyed killing, that’s it, plain and simple. There was other stuff too, but it’s not important.”

“So that’s it?” Vex harshly questioned. “She enjoys killing? I enjoy stealing but you don’t see me taking others job and you don’t see me ruining your faction because of it.” It was obvious she was pissed, at both the situation and the explanation.

“Well she isn’t you,” Rillisandra explained. “She has her own mindset and follows her own code. She doesn’t believe in a bond between people or factions, she sees that as a sign of weakness and incompetence. Since nobody left the exact second they got a job, she didn’t believe we had it in us to do it. That’s why she took it upon herself to kill our marks.”

The two thieves look at each other, still trying to figure this all out. Something seemed off, and everyone knew it. Vipir then spoke. “I’m sorry she did that, but I still can’t figure out why she’s taking it out on us.”

The two assassins shrugged, but Gabriella spoke up first. “We’re confused by that too. At first we thought it was because of her whole ‘people working together is a sign of weakness’ mindset. Sure, we don’t exactly work side-by-side all the time, but we do have each other backs. We think she hoped this would cause a rift between us, maybe even a war between factions that would result in our deaths.”

“But you guys think it’s something more, don’t you?” Vex asked. The two nodded. “Then tell us.” They were quiet for a moment, not saying a word. They then shook their heads. “Why not?” she asked with an irritated voice.

“It’s just a hunch a few of us have, but we’re not entirely sure,” Rillisandra said. “When we get to Sanctuary, we’ll explain there. Okay?” Vex rolled her eyes, but agreed nonetheless.

 It was then silent again, with them all decided to go to sleep. The fire was then put out, and they took to different parts of the shack, with Gabriella and Rillisandra staying close.

“We should’ve just told them,” Rillisandra admitted as she snuggled up closer to her girlfriend.

“Tell them what?” she questioned. “That we think she killing their marks because of a supposed grudge against Brynjolf that may or may not exist?” She wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer.

“It sounds a whole lot better than a war between factions.”

“That’s still a possibility,” she reminded her. “For all we know it’s both.”

Rillisandra sighed. “I guess we’ll figure out in time.” She paused for a moment, kissing her on the cheek. “Goodnight.”

~~~

In the guard chambers waiting was Maven Black-Briar, who looked more annoyed than ever. She tapped her nails against the table, her lips pouted and eyes all but slits. In all her years of working with the guild, nothing like this has ever happened, and it only angered her. Not only did they leave her oblivious to the entire ordeal, it never should’ve happened in the first place.

Her head turned when she heard the door open and watched as a few guards escorted Mercer inside. There, the guards kept posted at the door as he took a few more steps forward to her as she stood up from her chair. He was already irritated with everything, and this was only going to make it worse.

She glared at him. “What in Oblivion is going on Frey?” Her voice was harsh, cutting at him like knives.

“What do you want me to say?” he retaliated with a small shrug. “What does it look like? We’re in jail.”

“Don’t be a smartass, I know that. Why? Why are you in jail?” The way she emphasized almost every word only angered him, but still he felt faint. He didn’t have the energy to deal with this, not now.

“It’s none of your business. We’re deali-” he was then cut off when she grabbed his armor and pulled him closer. Their faces were almost touching.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I have so much riding on your success as a guild,” she explained. “That cannot happen if you’re all rotting in separate jail cells. Now I won’t ask again. Why are you in jail?”

“Fine,” he said. He muttered the word bitch under his breath. “Let go of me and I’ll tell you.” And so she did, though it felt more as if she was shoving him backwards. He almost didn’t catch himself, about to fall to the ground. It took him a moment to regain his balance. “Someone is killing our marks and trying to pin the blame on us. That’s it.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re all in jail.”

Mercer’s eyes went wide at Maven’s comment, completely bemused. “How?” he all but shouted. “Are you not fucking listening to me?”

“Watch your tone Frey.”

“Just shut up and listen to me for once.” She took a step back with wide eyes, the guards surrounding them ghosted their hands around their swords. “I just told you that someone is pinning murders on us even though it isn’t us!” He turned his head and looked at the guards with those final words, as if he was trying to convince them as well. Looking back at her, he continued. “We had a plan and then we were ambushed by Riften guards. We’re doing the best we can right now.”

She scoffed. “And that’s being locked up in jail? You’re pathetic.”

“THAT WASN’T PART OF THE PLAN!” He moved towards her with that shout, though stumbling a little. He gripped onto the desk for support. What's wrong with me he thought to himself, but at the same time ignored. “Stop trying to pin this on all me, or on us for that matter. None of us had anything to do with this.” He took a pause, starting to feel more faded and dizzy. He could’ve sworn he was swaying a bit, but he couldn’t tell.

“Then why did you refuse to involve me with any of this? Why was I left out?”

“It didn’t concern you,” he explained. “This is between the guild, the brotherhood, and whoever is killing our marks. That’s fucking why.”

She was going to ask why the Dark Brotherhood was involved and not her, but decided against it. Still, she was furious at him with the way he’s been leaving her out in general. For the past few months she’s had no idea what’s been going on, and she was determined to change that one way or another.

“None of this should’ve happened in the first-place Frey, not at all,” she began. “Maybe if you weren’t distracted with your little Breton toy, you would’ve been able to prevent this.” He looked at her, not knowing what to think. “Don’t think I don’t know about you and Zayra. It’s far too obvious.”

He tried to take a step forward, but he couldn’t find it in himself to do so. He felt so tired, exhausted even, and just entirely weak. He didn’t know why, and it slightly scared him. “Don’t talk about things that don’t relate to this in the slightest, especially when you know nothing about it. Besides, what I or she does in our private lives is none of your business.”

“So you’re admitting to it?”

“I never said that.”

The conversation was over. Maven did leave some final words for him, saying that if he doesn’t clean this mess up then she’ll find someone more competent to run the guild. It went in the ear and out the other, mainly because the ringing in his ears was louder than her. Not only was he angry at the entire situation, this awful meeting with Maven didn’t help one bit, and not to mention the fact there was something going on with him that he couldn’t figure out.

A guard unlocked the cell once more, allowing him to go inside before locking them up again. The other three stayed in their spots, asking questions about who he was meeting with. He didn’t answer, and instead looked at the ground. His thoughts became jumbled, his vision blurry, and his head was pounding. Veezara made a comment about how pale he looked and if he needed to sit down, and then all Mercer saw was black.

He hit the ground with a loud thud.


	3. Chapter 3

Arriving at Sanctuary the following night, Rillisandra and Gabriella were the first to enter while Vex and Vipir followed. This was unknown territory for the thieves, and while they knew nothing bad was going to happen to them, they were going to be working together after all, it still didn’t shake away the unknown fear that filled them. Though, that also had to do with everything else going on.

The further they got inside, they could hear the low chatter among the other members. It diluted the moment the four walked into the dining area, into a small hum. And then it was silent as they all stared with curious eyes.

“Back so soon?” Nazir asked as he walked towards them, attempting to break this awkward silence. “And you guys said this would take a couple of weeks.” His tone was friendly, however it changed when he was able to get a good look at their faces and especially when he noticed the two thieves trailing behind them. “What’s going on? What happened? Where’s Astrid and Veezara?”

“One question at a time please,” Rillisandra requested, her voice soft. “We’re still trying to figure it all out too. Long story short there was an ambush down in the Cistern. We were just ba-” she was quickly cut off by an angry voice with underlining concern.

“Where’s Astrid?” Arnbjorn demanded to know. He even took a step forward, which made the incoming ones taking a step back. Narrow eyes and a hard expression told them he was angry, and his tone of voice told them he was furious.

“Calm your tail, she’s in jail,” Gabriella explained to him, a little more harsh than she intended to. “Just like Veezara and the rest of the Thieves Guild. Well, minus Vex and Vipir here.” She gestured towards them and Vipir gave an awkward wave. “Like Rillisandra was saying, we were barely able to escape.”

"So you weren’t able to capture Cortina?” an old voice perked up, being quickly revealed to be Festus. “Or is she not involved at all? The four of the shrugged, not entirely sure on what to say.

However, out of the four, Vex spoke up first after the gesture. “The guards got to us first, still thinking the guild is responsible for the deaths. She’s still out there and our number one suspect.” Vipir remained quiet, only nodding beside her.

With that still weighing on their mind, the Brotherhood members gathered around, talking quietly among themselves. This was awful news, awful news indeed. Not only was a killer still at large plotting her next move, but their leader and fellow member were in jail and gods knows what was going to happen to them, as well as the other guild members. Nothing was on their side right now, and it was only going to get worse.

It was only a matter of time before guards were at the Sanctuary door, ready for their moment of glory.

Vex cleared her throat loudly, wanting to be included in the conversation going on. Noticing, Nazir looked over at her. “Rillisandra just informed me that you two, and probably most of the guild, don’t know the entire story.” The two thieves cocked an eyebrow, curious. He motioned to the seats. “Come on. Sit down and have a drink as I fill you in.”

They all drank and listened in awe at the tale, it being new to the two thieves. It started out simple enough, it was the same that Rillisandra and Gabriella told them. However, at the mention of Brynjolf’s name they perked up, even more eager to listen. It was implied that Mercer knew her as well, being a failed protégé of the guilds second.

It started out like a majority of the new members nowadays, Brynjolf picked her up on the streets of Riften, with enough gold that it was obvious she didn’t earn any of it in an honest way. He told her to do something and she did it well, and that was good enough for him. However, there was something about her that seemed off, which led him to not inviting her underground yet. Instead he just gave her a job to steal a ring from a family up north, and all he got in return was grave news.

The family was slaughtered, with not a single soul left alive. It was left an absolute mess, completely ransacked complete with a bloodbath. She had thought she had done a good job, only to be crushed when Brynjolf refused to accept the ring, having followed and watched her throughout the entire job. He yelled at her, explaining that he had told her the rules in the beginning, that they were thieves and not killers. His final words to her were to never show her face in Riften again.

The two thieves continued to stare in awe, slightly confused as well. “How do you know all this?” Vipir asked. If anything, it seemed like these were only facts that Brynjolf should’ve known, and at the most Mercer as well.

“Her journal mainly, as well as things Mercer and Brynjolf mentioned to Astrid years ago that she then told us,” Nazir explained. “As you might know, when Mercer took over, there wasn’t much to the guild left. Any new member was highly needed, and when she showed so much potential it was like a gift. Then it all went to shit. Poor Brynjolf, I can’t even begin to image what Mercer said to him and what Maven said after that. Must’ve been brutal.”

“So it’s all because she didn’t follow directions and Brynjolf told her to leave?” Vex asked, though it was more of a realization. “She’s mad at something that’s her own fault.”

“That’s not all,” Arnbjorn butted in. “The only reason she wanted to join your guild was because she was infatuated with him.” The two continued to stare at him, wanting him to continue. “According to her journals, she was stalking him for mouths before she finally allowed herself to be approached by him. She never went into detail way she was so infatuated with him, probably because it was her journal and all that information needed to stay in her head protected. All she ever did was explain her actions and things she watched him do.”

“Never her own thoughts?” He nodded. “That’s weird,” Vex noted. “Are the journals still here?” He shook her head.

“She took them with her the day she left.”

“Only a few broken pages were left behind,” Gabriella informed her. “Nothing but complete nonsense though and nothing relevant.”

With that said, everyone in the room began talking about what to do next. Still, they knew there was no way they could free the remaining member in jail to Arnbjorn annoyance. It would only waste time and besides, they were safe there for the time being. However, controversy came up when it was time to decide how to lure her out and capture her. A fake job was suggested, including the fact that it was planned, but snuffed shortly after. It was far too obvious and she would be able to tell, thus ignoring it.

More ideas were thrown around, stemming from traps to plain old hunting for her. None of them were going to work, and all knew it. They just needed to pick the least worst option of them all, the one that might work better than the others. And that was following an old lead from a messy journal page explaining an outdated schedule of hers.

~~~

It was obvious that night had fallen with the change in guards, and still the cells were quiet, with even the usual hum of chatter nonexistent. People were still quiet due to the event that had happened only hours before, slightly stunned and confused. However, if a person were to look over into that cell, they would see him lying on a bed, his head on Zayra’s thighs as she ran her fingers through his hair.

He had woken up a few hours’ prior, his head pounding for obvious reasons. Known to all, it was stress that caused his sudden collapse, as well as the lack of sleep and eating for the past few days. It had all become too much for him and his body couldn’t handle it any longer, thus forcing him down. So now he laid, annoyed and wanting to leave this wretched cell.

Zayra rarely looked down at him, keeping her eyes preoccupied outside the cell, as if she was waiting for someone. In a way, she was. When Glason had told her the secret code she got her hopes up very fast, not wanting to think of anything else. It’s what kept her calm during Mercer’s fall, and she knew that if they got out they could quickly put an end to all this shit.

Yet, some things are easier said than done.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes remained close as he felt the soothing action of her fingers through his hair, it actually calming him.

She looked back at him. “Nothing.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. She couldn’t explain what she was looking at, or who she was looking for to be more precise. Like always, she was playing the infamous waiting game and hoping luck was on her side.

She stopped the movements when Brynjolf approached them, a look that was a mixture of concern and relief present on his features. “How are you holding up Merc? Any better?’

He sat up, looking towards the bars at first and then at his second. “A little.” Other than his head he did feel fine, the only thing bothering him was the fact that they were still here, but that was bothering everyone at this point. With the guards constantly watching them, it was impossible for them to make an escape and continue their work. It’s going to be hard nonetheless, and he had to find a way to continue this faction after this.

He couldn’t let the others down, he just couldn’t. Not after all that’s happened throughout the years. All he could hope for was that they are able to bring Cortina down, and possibly to the guards and with some coin all of this would go away. It had to. It just had to.

There was no other option.

Continuing to sit there, he ignored the soft footsteps of Veezara coming near. He spoke to the other two, offering words of advice. “Flowers always bloom from the ashes of a burnt forest.” The poetic words were appreciated, bringing a smile to the two’s faces. One of them was going to say something else, until a loud crash filled the entire jail, causing most of the inmates to jump.

The guards bolted up, running towards the exit. A few stayed back, looking at the confined thieves and assassins in the cells, debating on whether or not to leave them. However, quick and harsh pulls on the shoulders told them to leave them behind. “They aren’t going anywhere,” one of them joked.

Once the guards were out of sight, chatter rose up again louder than ever. Everyone wanted to know what happened and a few others knew that this was their chance to escape. How they would do that however, remained a mystery as most couldn’t get their hands through the bars and configure them into an uncomfortable position to attempt unlocking the door. It was then a hooded figure came into view.

He looked around for a moment, his red eyes popping against the blue and shadowed skin. With sharp teeth, he smiled when he saw Glason in one cell and it changed to a look of confusion when he saw Zayra as well. He took a left, going to Glason’s cell first.

"Well well if it isn’t the little wolf,” he joked to Athlis’s annoyance. With a roll of the eyes, he got on his knees and pulled out a lockpick, putting most of his focus on the lock in front of him.

“You know I hate being called that,” he reminded him, still fiddling with the lock. It broke and he muttered something, taking out another one. “I guess I’ve lost my touch, but I guess that’s what happens when you rejoin a guild of good-doers.”

“So you joined The Companions again?” Zayra questioned as she got up from her spot and walked towards the bars. “I thought you hated them?”

“I do, but money’s money and when you need coin you go to a place where you know you can get it.” And with that he heard the satisfying click, and a smirk rose on his lips. Standing up, he opened the door and took a step back, and Glason, Delvin, Astrid, and Tonilia stepped out. “I’m assuming Zayra you’re gonna want the rest of your organization out, so if someone could help me find a key that would be great.  I don’t know how long the guards will remain distracted, and I don’t have that many lockpicks left.” With that, the two thieves and the assassins took charge and went on the look for the key while the Redguard man said his thanks and waved goodbye, which wasn’t unexpected.

Athlis then strode over to Zayra’s cell, taking the same position as before. “I don’t even wanna know how so much of one armor made it into these cells,” he commented. She sighed at him, telling him he didn’t wanna know.

“I thought The Companions followed a strict moral and lawful code?” Veezara said, watching as Athlis worked the lock.

“They do but friends come first.” He then brought his red gaze up to him, a click filling their ears. “And Glason and Zayra are friends.” Following the same movement as before, Brynjolf and Veezara stepped out first and after Zayra grabbed Mercer’s hand, they followed.

It was then when the others returned with two keys in hand, them being master cell keys. In a matter of moment, the rest of the thieves were released, and they noted the four-missing had to have gotten out before this mess happened. Now they just hoped they were safe from harm. They knew they couldn’t dwell any longer and they had to leave, the guards would be back any moment.

Without thinking, they ran out the front door, not wanting to stay any longer. As they quickly left the city of Riften, knowing full well they couldn’t return to the Cistern yet until this whole ordeal was over with, the guards returned and were completely shocked to see many cells empty. One even mocked the comment of, “They’re not going anywhere.” With only the old prisoner remaining, one of the guards walked over to Sibbi Black-Briar, who wore a large, cruel smirk on his lips.

~~~

It was outside Falkreath when the two factions met up again, running into each other. Quick words of thankfulness were exchanged, as well as curious questions. Even Astrid and Arnbjorn shared a quick kiss. Some answers were given and some weren’t, but they were together and alive and to them that’s all that mattered right now.

Now it was time for them to continue what they had started, and that was capturing Cortina and putting a stop to this once and for all. After that everything could return back to their version of normal, and each faction could go home and forget all the shit that happened.

Allowing Gabriella to explain, she filled them in on the new plan of action. According to a ripped out journal page, Cortina always returns to Falkreath to buy simple things like food and potions, mainly because people know her and are always willing to give her a slight discount. Everyone would be stationed at different areas or inside the inn, waiting and watching for her. If or when she was in sight, if was up to the one who found her on to decide on what to do next.

It was a farfetched plan that might or might not work, but it was all they had going for them. They were all given their positions, but before they could leave they heard a rustling in the nearby bushes. Out stepped a collection of people in black armored robes and silver mask, the sockets for the eyes staring menacing at them. It sent shivers down their spines, knowing exactly who they belonged to even though this was their first time meeting them.

Harsh clacks filled their ears as another one approached them, their attire seemingly more royal than the other, mainly due to the cloak. It was their leader.

It was Cortina.

She removed her mask and held it in her hand, using the other move her hood down to the shoulders. On her face were red markings, more random than intricate, as well as a few scars, some fresher than the others. She wore a wicked grin, framed by her unkempt black hair with its own bloodstains as well.

“Had I known you were throwing me a party I would’ve fixed my appearance,” she cruelly joked, running her finger down her bloody cheek. “You see, I just came back from another job. Remero Tulium now joins his friend Wulfum underground. Such a shame too, another one the Thieves Guild had ties with is dead. Too bad you can’t do anything about it.”

“How did you find us here?” Astrid asked, giving everyone a look saying not to move. This was her problem more than anyone’s, and she wanted answers before she killed the girl.

“I have eyes and ears all over,” she informed her, using her hand to showcase her companions. “In fact, I’ve had my eye on the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild for months. The things I could tell you would be shocking.”

Everyone’s hands ghosted around their weapons, ready to attack but still hesitant. “But why are you killing Thieves Guild marks?” Brynjolf demanded to know.

She laughed and smiled. “Because that’s what you said I was good at, killing your marks. You do remember yelling that at me, right? Or did you somehow forget? I can’t imagine that though. Nonetheless, it always confused me. I got the ring, but you refused to accept it all because the family ended up dead. What was the problem?”

“We don’t kill,” Mercer interrupted her. “That was the problem.”

She only smirked at his comment. “Sure you don’t. You follow your own moral code, thinking it makes you somehow better than the common thug. Still, that day taught me two things. Smooth-talking men aren’t worth my time and I really enjoy killing. Who would’ve thought that I would finally be able to put the two together.” She then snapped her fingers, turning around to leave as her lackey’s attack the other group.


	4. Chapter 4

It was at that moment when instincts came out among everyone. Swords and daggers were drawn out, slashing against those in the black armored robes. Hands allowed magic to dance out of their fingertips, variations of colors and elements lighting the area. The soft hum of arrows shooting through the air was evident, trying to keep a steady aim as they shot quickly. It was not the ideal thing by any means, and that goes for everyone, but it was what they had to do now.

But with Cortina getting away, this only showed to be a waste of time.

Grunts and yells came from the thieves and brotherhood, these actions proving to be a nuisance as they fought the silent ones. On the outskirts of Falkreath, the thought plagued their mind that guards would wander over, only adding to the mess at hand. They needed to find a way to get rid of their current enemies, yet that was easier said than done. It proved to be an even match in terms of numbers, but not in the typical case of stamina and strength.

No matter what was used, swords, spells, or arrows, it seemed nothing was stopping them. Other than the occasional stumble, nothing fazed them. It showed to be discomforting and even a little scary. Not to mention they had no clue who they were against, the silver mask covering every feature on their faces. Even with that, both factions were keeping up with the pace, though were also coming down with the most injuries.

While they weren’t anything major, they did leave some of the member’s alarms. Cuts were left on faces and armor, some deep and some not. Burns from magic leaving lasting pain, sometimes making it hard to move without wincing. It only added fuel to this ever-growing fire, knowing this was simply being used as a decoy for her to escape, and nobody was standing for it.

In fact, it was hard to remain standing throughout this entire ordeal, but that was another problem not worth mentioning.

 “Astrid!” Niruin had to shout to get her attention. She looked over at him, cocking an eyebrow. “I know I’m not in an authoritative position, but I ha- Shit!” He was interrupted by a sword slashing toward him, knocking his bow to the ground. Not having time to pick it up, he continued by using his fist. It wasn’t much, but it did throw the others off guard, and that as good enough for now. “Anyways, like I was saying I have a suggestion.”

“What is it?” She asked, helping him fight the few that surrounded them.  

“I think you, Mercer, and Brynjolf should head after Cortina. These guys are just wasting our time while she’s making her escape. That’s all they’re here for. We’ll be fine, you three need to go and stop her so we can stop all this shit.”

With a heavy breath she nodded at him, looking around for the two men. Like her, they were fighting a few of the armored ones on their, Zayra close beside them. She shoved past a few to get to them, putting a hand on each of their shoulders, startling them for a moment. Once they realized it was her, they listened to what she had to say, nodding in agreement. With that they left in search of the thorn in their backsides, leaving the rest of the two factions to continue dealing with her lackeys.

They ran through the trees, diverting away from the dirt and gravel pathway. Leaves were crunching beneath them, making their steps more audible to anyone nearby. The wind began to sound like a laugh, which slowly sounded more and more like a person. From the corners of their eyes, they could’ve sworn they saw a figure following close by. Was it Cortina? They didn’t know, but a feeling in their gut told them they would find out soon.

They stopped to take a breather, feeling worn out from both the fighting and running. All of this was taking its toll on them, emotions of anger and frustration were running high. This entire ordeal has gone on long enough and it needed to end now. However, with her no wear in sight, there wasn’t much they could do. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off was going to solve nothing, in fact it would only make things worse.

“Gods dammit!” Mercer proclaimed, his fist hitting against a tree with a loud thud. “Where is she?” Leaning against the tree, he let out a hefty sigh, obviously annoyed. “I’m sick of this.”

“We all are,” Astrid reminded him. “And trust me, once I get my hands on her she’s gonna regret messing with us. It’s time to put an end to this.” With a howling wind, footsteps on fallen leaves could be heard, making them all turn around. No one was there however, not even wildlife. Shifting their eyes though the seemingly tranquil forest, they were distracting themselves for the moment.

And it was the moment Cortina was waiting for.

When she had her goons start attacking the opposing group, she never went far. In fact, she watched it, highly amused. It was only when she noticed the three leaving is when she took her run. She kept close to them, surprised when they never confronted the shadow following their moves. Now she stayed behind a tree, taking out a small vial from her pocket. Drinking the sweet liquid, she disappeared from sight.

Stepping out, they didn’t see her, they couldn’t. Though, her footsteps were present among the wind, only making them look around confused. It brought a cruel grin to his face, making it hard for her to hold back her laugh. This is too funny she thought to herself, ghosting her hand around her sword. Like Astrid had said, it’s time to put an end to this.

Almost running towards him, she shoved Brynjolf onto the nearest tree, causing the other two to jump. It was then when she reappeared, seeing as she only drank a little of the potion, and she pulled her sword out of its sheath, placing it near his neck. Without hesitation, the other two grabbed their weapons, coming near her only to stop when her voice spoke up.

“Come any closer and I’ll slit his throat,” she told them, pushing the sword closer. They stopped dead in their tracks, staring at her with snarls. Glancing over at them, she smirked. “Drop your weapons too.” Mercer and Astrid looked at one another, unsure whether or not to listen. Both sighed, bending down to lay their weapons on the ground. “How the mighty have fallen,” she joked.

She turned her head back to Brynjolf, going quiet for a few moments. Even with his eyes shut, it was obvious fear was running though him, mainly by the way he shuddered. She brought herself closer to him, her sword lightly piercing the skin, only enough to cause some pain but not draw any blood. “And how the tides have turned. You’re at my mercy, I can do whatever I want and no one can stop me. Tell me Brynjolf, how does that feel?”

He didn’t say anything, he couldn’t with how she was pushing the sword against him. Instead, he opened his eyes, and that told her all she needed to know. His green eyes only showed a fiery anger, almost shooting daggers at her. His lips now matched his two friends, as it formed a snarl. She chuckled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess you can’t talk like this.” Her voice was dripping with venomous sarcasm as she brought the sword away from his neck, running her finger over the red raised flesh of where it once was.

“You’re a bitch,” he told her. She gave him a mocked-offended look, her mouth hanging open, her free hand touching her chest.

“Now Brynjolf, that’s no way to speak to a woman, especially with the position you’re in.” Again she pushed the sword against his neck, lightly enough so he could still talk. “With all your smooth-talking, I thought you would know better.” She then had a sudden change in both expression and tone, taking on a more serious one. “Do you have a death wish?”

Before he could speak up, Astrid’s voice filled their ears. “What do you hope to gain out of this?” she asked. Cortina cranked her neck over and gave her a hateful stare.

“Was I talking to you? Or do you not understand how to function when you aren’t the one handing out orders and demands?” Her voice was harsh, still keeping the serious tone and expression. “Another word and he’s dead. Got it?” She nodded. “Good.” She brought her gaze back to the redhead, looking as if she was studying him.

Throughout these exchanges of words, Mercer remained quiet. It’s not like he didn’t have much to say, in fact he could fill out countless journals with the words and thoughts running through his mind, but there wasn’t a point to it. Staying silent meant Brynjolf would stay alive longer, and that’s what mattered during this moment.

Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t angry, and saying he was fuming would be an understatement. Instead, he brought his eyes down to his hand, mainly his fingertips, watching as tiny sparks emitted from them. Magic wasn’t his forte, and his knowledge of it was quite limited even with his Breton blood and few lessons at the college back home in High Rock. Yet it could be used to save Brynjolf’s life, and when the time came Mercer would attack.

It was their only option left.

“I’ll ask again,” Cortina stated. “How does it feel?” Brynjolf looked her up and down, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Terrible,” was all he said, continuing with the harsh stare. There were more words he could’ve used to describe anything and everything going on, but with how close the sword was he didn’t want to test his luck again. Besides, the look in her eyes told him she didn’t want to be tested, yet it slowly changed, showing she was now confused.

“Huh, not the word I would’ve chose.” She smiled at him, both cruel and playful. “I think it’s a little exciting, but I guess from where you stand it’s anything but.” His breath hitched when he felt more pressure from the sword on his neck. “I’ve been in your position before,” she reminded him, yet her comment only caused him to raise an eyebrow. “The day with the ring, when it all went to shit.”

“Everything that happened you chose to do, and that includes all the murders involving the guild, both past and present. You can only blame yourself.” And with that, he let out a wince and an inaudible scream and the sword pushed into the left side of his neck, blood tricking downward.

The scene almost made Astrid and Mercer step forward, their angry expressions changing to that of worried ones. They stopped themselves before they made the step, knowing it would make the sword push deeper in.

Cortina pulled the sword back, once again running her finger over her work. This time however, with her blood-stained finger, she dragged it upward onto his chin and then on his lips. “You’re not wrong,” she finally told him, “but you did start it. And now I’m gonna end it.”

Those words sparked Mercer, literally, and he threw a lightning bolt at her. It wasn’t the most powerful, but it was enough to cause her to drop her sword and stumble, finally getting off Brynjolf. It was then when the two picked their swords up, charging toward the others. However, while Astrid went for Cortina, who began to run away, Mercer went to Brynjolf.

“Are you okay?” Mercer asked, full of concern. He tried to maintain eye contact, but they kept shifting to the wound on his second’s neck. Brynjolf nodded.

“It’s not as bad as it probably looks,” he told him.

“Still, I’m sorry that it got to that point. We just, I don’t know how to…” he continued to fumble with his words, eventually trailing off. He watched as a comforting hand was put on his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he told him. The two then looked over in the distance where Astrid and Cortina ran off to, and Mercer brushed the hand off of him.

“Stay here, I’m going after them.” As he started to walk him, he was followed. He looked back at him, but continued his fast pace.

“I have to go,” he told him. “I need to be the one who ends this.”

It wasn’t long before they caught up with the other two, watching as they did a dance with their swords. Glints of light reflected off their swords, crunches of dead grass and leaves were under their steps, and the clinks they made were louder than the wind. With their intricate moves, their voices were being thrown along with strained grunts and heavy breathing.

“That doesn’t explain why you’re doing this to us and the guild,” Astrid said through her slashes. “It’s as if you don’t have a reason.”

Cortina laughed as she blocked her strikes. “And that’s your answer.” With that, she was able to get an angle on Astrid, knocking her to the ground, pointing her sword at her neck while she put her foot on her stomach. She looked over at the two men, who had their swords out as they came over, stopping once they saw the scene at hand.

“I don’t have a reason,” she began, “to do any of this. In fact, my life would be a lot simpler if I just ignored you all, but where’s the fun in that? I like killing, and that’s something neither of your factions can ever understand.”

“But why did you target us?” Brynjolf asked, knowing he would be able to keep a calmer disposition rather than Mercer. He kept his voice soft, trying to use the friendly tactic. “That’s all we want to know.” She glanced over at him.

“Because you made me truly realize my love for it,” she told him. “And this is how I’m thanking you, by doing exactly what I love.” Whatever she was going to say was replaced with a yell as she went down. While she was distracted, Astrid was able to push her foot off of her, causing her to fall to the ground.

Using this to their advantage, Mercer charged towards her, keeping his sword low to ground where she was. However, with a swift dodge she was able to kick her leg out and trip him. As she got up, he tried to reach her ankle but missed, and soon pushed Astrid back down on the ground. Her focus was on Brynjolf, and it was soon revealed that she had hidden a dagger in her boot.

The two couldn’t get up quick enough to stop what was going to happen, and the scream that filled their ears would haunt their nightmares. It sliced at his abdomen and then embedded itself his thigh, pain shooting through his body. He fell the ground, and so did she when the other two practically tackled her. She struggled against them, trying to throw them off yet failing. Somehow she was able to pull the dagger out of Brynjolf, causing him to yell again, slashing it at the two on her.

Tiny specs of blood splattered on them, the tip grazing them, not leaving a cut but rather a thin red trail. She continued to wave it at them, trying to get them off but like her lackeys before they weren’t going down without a fight. Yet, the agonizing groans from Brynjolf were causing worry between the two, both trying to figure out what to do next.

Would it be better to let Cortina escape? Obviously not, but Brynjolf’s life was more important. He needed medical attention, and the longer they waited the worse this would get. They wouldn’t be able to kill her anyways, their weapons were too far away. Astride and Mercer looked at one another, nodding, and were able to push her aside and go towards Brynjolf. However, before Mercer went over, he grabbed Cortina by the front of her armor and gave her some leaving words.

“Don’t think you’re so lucky because we’re letting you go, we just have two things you don’t: concern for a friend. Next time however, you won’t be so lucky, so you better make sure there isn’t a next time.” She said nothing as she spat in his face, causing him to drop her. She didn’t bother to pick her up weapon as she left, drinking what she had left of her potion and he went over and picked up their weapons.

Finally, he walked over to his friend and squatted down next to him, handing Astrid her sword. He put his hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at him. “Please tell me it’s not as bad as it looks.” The answer however, was evident both on the wounds and pained expression the man wore. Mercer only frowned and looked down.

"We need to get back to the others,” Astrid said. The other two nodded in agreement, and Mercer put his arm around Brynjolf to help him up. With her leading the way, the two trailed behind slowly, Mercer trying his best to cheer up his best friend to make the journey bearable.

~~~

It had been a week from that incident, and the guild was getting slowly back on track. That night the entire guild sought shelter in Sanctuary, with Gabriella and Rillisandra tending to Brynjolf wounds. The following night after much needed rest, they headed back home to Riften.

As always there were guards standing outside the city, one had their weapon drawn. However, another told them to put it away and then walked up to Mercer. She explained to him that they were informed that the murders were not at the hands of the Thieves Guild, as well as provided with evidence, and they apologized for imprisoning them on that account. They were allowed to continue working as they did, as long as they continued to followed the unspoken guidelines.

Mercer stood behind his desk, going through potential jobs and checking the ledgers, occasionally looking over to where Brynjolf laid in recovery accompanied by Zayra and Sapphire. He couldn’t keep his focus on all the papers though, he thoughts kept returning to the letter he had found on his desk they day they returned.

Well, letter was a strong word. In fact, it was just a symbol on a piece of paper. Two thumbprints. He knew exactly who it was from, showing she was still a threat, but what did it mean? That he couldn’t figure out, and with that he was keeping it to himself. He didn’t need the others to worry, especially since this might simply be something to tease them with, showing them that she’s still out there.

On one of his looks up, him and Zayra made lasting eye contact, her taking that as an invitation to talk to him. She told her friends she would be right back, got up and walked over to his desk. “Hey,” she said softly. He looked at her and gave her one back, though with his muddled tone it was hard to hear. She sighed. “Mercer, none of this is your fault. No one is blaming you for any of this, so you need to stop blaming yourself.”

He opened his mouth to say something, quickly shaking his head. He went to open one of the ledgers that sat on his desk, only for her to shove it away.

"I’m serious Mercer.”

Letting out a sigh, he moved the ledger back to its original spot. “That’s easier said than done Zayra,” he admitted. “I mean just look at him over there, he could’ve died and I just stood there like an idiot.”

When they had spent the night at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, he had explained to her all that happened. The things she said, the use of his magic, how she explained her “reasoning” or lack thereof. He told her everything, and while he wouldn’t admit it, a few tears rolled down his face. The way he talked showed how he blamed himself, and no matter how many times she told him it wasn’t his fault, he just wouldn’t believe her.

“With what you told me, you had no choice. Standing there was the only way to save his life,” she told him. “You did what you had to do.”

He said nothing as he simply looked at her, his thoughts running amuck. On one hand, he knew she was exactly right. He did the best with what he had to work with. Yet on the other, after rethinking the events over and over, he noticed many opportunities he had and missed, ones that would’ve shortened the encounter. Ones that wouldn’t involve Brynjolf getting hurt.

“I know it’s hard,” she began, bringing him out of his own thoughts. “Just believe me, okay?” Over the desk, she grabbed his hand, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. “Go talk to him,” she told him, glancing towards Brynjolf. Slightly tugging his hand, he stepped out from behind his desk. Without letting go of his hand, in fact she intertwined her fingers with his, they both walked over watching as Sapphire gave a quick goodbye and left.

The two sat on the bed opposite of Brynjolf, and still she never let go of his hand. Brynjolf was the first to speak up. “Hey Merc,” he said slightly surprised. “I didn’t expect you to come over.” With the few days of bedrest he’s had, he was healing quite nicely. In only a few more days he would be able to start working again, which was something he was excited for.

Mercer let out another sigh. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. Are you feeling any better Bryn?”

“A lot better, thanks. Cortina really did a number on me.” The comment made Mercer’s eyes hit the ground, which caused Brynjolf to outstretch his hand onto his knee. “You know I told you I don’t blame you for any of this.”

Zayra squeezed his hand, reminding him she said the same thing. “I know. Give me some time and I’ll believe it.”

He patted his knee before removing his hand, smiling at him. “Mercer, you’re my best friend. I know you would never do something to intentionally harm me. Not now, not ever.” The words brought a faint smile to his lips, but it left shorty after. A few thoughts ran through his mind, things he would rather not think about now. Instead, he brought his gaze back up and spoke.

“You wanna go to my house for a drink?” he suggested.

"You know me to damn well,” his friend replied. “Of course I do.” Zayra couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment, giving Mercer a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving to go find Sapphire. Brynjolf couldn’t help but cock at eyebrow at the action. “Are you two public now?”

Mercer shrugged. “I mean, at this point everyone knows there’s something going on between us. Does it really matter if we’re public or not?

“Aye, but have you told her about what Maven said to you at the meeting that caused you to collapse?” He asked, and the Guildmaster shook his head.

“I don’t need her worrying; she does that enough with me.” That caused another smile to form on Brynjolf’s lips.

"That’s because she cares about you,” he reminded him. Mercer only rolled his eyes and stood up. “I’m serious you know.”

“I know that,” he told him as he held out his hand to help him sit up. “And deep down I’m glad she does,” he hesitantly admitted. “That’s why I don’t need her worrying about Maven, especially because her threats mean nothing.”

"That’s true,” Brynjolf agreed, standing up. He took him a moment to regain his balance, and Mercer held on to his arm to make sure he didn’t fall. “Anyways, I’m just glad we found someone out there who’s able to love and appreciate our cantankerous Guildmaster.”

Again Mercer rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hold back his laugh or smile. The two then proceeded to leave the Cistern, going to Riftweald to spend some much needed time together. 

**Author's Note:**

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